Keeping Your Pets Safe This 4th of July

The fireworks demonstrations on the 4th of July make it fun for humans but often frightening for pets.
The booms and flashes of fireworks can trigger an instinctive reaction to panic and pets may respond by doing anything they can to escape. In their efforts to get away, many pets have successfully broken through fencing, caging or housing that has never failed to contain them before.

The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department’s Town Lake Animal Center, offers the following tips to keep your pet safe this 4th of July:. 

Make sure your dog or cat is wearing a current identification tag. If your pet does manage to escape, a tag will be the first thing a finder will use in attempting to get him back home to you. Consider a personal identification tag in addition to rabies and pet registration tags.

Consider getting your pet microchipped. A collar and tag may come off while your pet is making an escape, but a microchip will remain. The Town Lake Animal Center uses a microchip scanner on all pets that come into the facility and will begin making efforts to contact registered owners immediately. If your pet is already microchipped, please contact the microchip company and verify that the information they have for you is current.

Resist the temptation to take your pets to a fireworks display. Even the most confident of dogs can become stressed by the noise and lights and may react fearfully or escape and become lost.

If you must leave your pets unattended at home, the best place for them will be inside the house, confined in an interior room. Closing blinds will help to block flashing lights and a radio tuned to a calming station such as classical music will muffle sound. It is important to ensure that dogs and cats that live outdoors are brought safely inside-many people assume that cats and dogs that are used to living outdoors will not be frightened by the fireworks.

If you are aware that your pet has a fear of loud noises, such as thunderstorms, consult with your veterinarian about ways to alleviate the stress your pet will encounter.

In the event that your dog or cat is lost, begin your search immediately. Talk to neighbors and get permission to search their property. Put up large, brightly colored “LOST PET” signs in the area where the pet was lost. Visit local shelters at least every other day and check their websites more frequently. Don’t give up your search too quickly. Many pets (especially cats) will stay hidden for up to a week or more after a traumatic experience, and sometimes, people will find pets and keep them for several days before they start trying to tack down an owner.

Town Lake Animal Center is the largest animal shelter in Central Texas and is a program of the City of Austin, Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department. The Center provides animal sheltering, lost & found, pet registration, animal control and adoption services. During the last year, the Center provided shelter to approximately 27,000 animals. The Center is open to the public seven days a week—11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.